Left Socialist Action or Left Social Democrats (LevSD russian: Левое социалистическое действие / Левые социал-демократы, Levoye sotsialisticheskoye deystviye / Levie social-demokrati) is a social democratic and democratic socialist political organization in Russia founded in August 2007. The movement is part of the Union of Democratic Socialists.

Ideology

According to the statements of one of the leaders of the movement,

Nikolay Kavkazsky Nikolay Yurievich Kavkazsky (born October 16, 1986) is a Russians, Russian political, LGBT and drug policy reform activist, lawyer, member of numerous human rights organizations, blogger and a political prisoner. Political career Nikolay Kav ...

(also member of

Yabloko The Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko (RUDP Yabloko) (russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко», Rossíyskaya obyedinyónnaya demokratícheskaya pártiya "Y ...

), the LevSD "is equally far removed from

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

authoritarianism and from the opportunism of modern right-wing social democrats". In the "Declaration of the Socialists of Russia", the current state system, in particular, is characterized as nomenclature, authoritarian and

Bonapartist Bonapartism (french: Bonapartisme) is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In thi ...

. The document enshrined the social democrats' rejection of clericalism and obscurantism, xenophobia and poverty. According to the movement, social democracy implies a secular state, free democratic elections, support for trade unions, affordable housing and medicine, the introduction of a progressive tax, the correspondence of the minimum wage to the living wage, the rejection of all types of discrimination and respect for nature.

Activities

LevSD activists participated in many opposition protests: such as

Strategy-31 Strategy-31 (russian: Страте́гия-31) is a series of civic protests in support of the right to peaceful assembly in Russia guaranteed by Article 31 of the Russian constitution. Since July 31, 2009, the protests were held in Moscow on ...

, Rallies on Bolotnaya Square, as well as trade union, environmental, feminist, pro-minorities and pro-LGBT rallies. In 2014, LevSD supported

Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

. In 2022, the activists of the movement participated in anti-war and anti-censorship protests in Russia.

References

2007 establishments in Russia Opposition to Vladimir Putin Political organizations based in Russia Political parties established in 2007 Social democratic parties in Russia {{Russia-party-stub